Wheel supporting means



Och il, 1938. K. RABE WHEEL SUPPORTING MEANS Filed lay 7, 1936 cilPatented ocr, 11, 193s f PATE-Nr carica 2,182,759 WHEEL SUPPORTING MEANS-Karl Rabe, Stuttgart, Germany Application May 2. 1

Y In Germany ssarserial No. I'18,315 May 18,

anonima, (o1.- zer-51) This invention relates` to wheel supporting meansand in particular 'to a springingmechanism for wheels of motor vehicles.

An object of this invention is the provision of wheel supporting vmeansembodying means for.

A further'object of this invention is the provision of horizontalspringing meansl in conjunction with vertical springing means in a wheelsupporting mechanism.

A more particular object of this invention is the provision of wheelsupporting means which combines horizontal springing means and vertiecal springing means in such a manner that the function of one springingmeans will not interfere with the function of the other.

vA more particular object of this invention is the provision of .wheelsupporting means which combines horizontal springing means and verticalspringing means in such a manner that the same spring means will servethe purpose of both vertical and horizontal springing. l

Other objects will appear from the following description of anillustrative embodiment oi' the invention taken together with theattached..l

' drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an approximately vertical cross-sectional view of a wheelsuspension taken substantiallyat right angles to the direction o!vtravel; Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation; vand Fig. 3 is a diagramshowing the application o! transverse forces. A 'l The wheel 2 iscarried by means 8 and 9 which are preferably universal Joints such asthe spherical joints shown, and thus provide notonly for swingingmovement but also for steering movement." As shown, the carrying'armsare formed with spherical ends I4 and I5 which restin sockets lli and Ilof the steering knuckle. The arms l 6 and i1 are attached to theparallel superposed transverse tubes 58 and 58a as by means of thetrunnions 23, 24. The trlmnions 23, 24 are shown journaled within saidtubes exteriorly on needle bearings 25, 26 .and inwardly in plainbearings 25a, 26a. 'I'he trunnions 2l, 24 are connected with torsionrods 4i, 42 which, on the wheel end are provided with square or other'noncylindrical ends 3|, 32 to provide against -relapins object. .of thisinvention isv the protive rotation, and with suitable means such as 39,39a to provide against relative longitudinal shifting. The torsion rods4i and 42 are shown extending beyond their abutments 45, 46 in, thetransverse tubes 58, 58ato the trunnions 5 of the opposite wheel,whereby one torsion rod serves for( springing two wheels. As shown, the

rods are ilxed against rotation at the center of the car as by means ofsquare portions 43, 44, and against longitudinal shifting as by means 10of the screws 53, 54. Axially the trunnions 23, 24 are resilientlysupported relative to the transverse tubes 58, 58a through thespringrods 4i, 42. Near the inner ends of the trunnions 23, 24, saidscrews 38, 38a are'provided withlsuiiicient play so 15. that thenecessary radialand axial movement of the trunnion is not prevented. Theends of the cross tubes 58 and 58a are shown sealed by means of rubberrings 60 vand 6l. The transverse tubes '58 and 58a are combined into asingle cross mem ber by means of braces 62, which may be attached bymeans of flanges to the longitudinal frame member 63. 4,

- It a transverse force Q is applied to the wheel. as shown in Fig. 3, acanting moment Qxr re-v 25 sults, i! r .is taken as the effective radiusof the wheel. This canting moment works upon the arms i6, Il in the formof a .iorce couple SXh, where'h represents the vertical distance betweenthe arms 23 and 24. Therefore a tension S is 30 applied to the uppertrunnionI 2t, and a. compression S is applied to the lower trunnion 23.Since the trimnions 23 and 24 are controlled axially' only by thetorsion rods 4| and 42, the forces S must be taken up by saidrods;theupper torsion rod 42 is thereforesubjected to a tension and the lowerrod 4i to compression.

The trunnions 23 and 24, andV thereforethe wheel itself, is accordinglyprovided 'with axial springing whereby `the transverse force Q is re- 40siliently taken up. At the same time, the normal position of the wheelis practically unaltered,

.and the usual vertical springing means' will function withoutinterference.

Ii a torsion rod breaks, the trunnions 23- and 45 Y wheel abutments.'I'he set screwsk 40 and 40a 504 may be 'utilized 'as wheel abutments. YThe set screws 5I and 54 do not have to transmit the en- -tire force S,since the squares 43 and 44 are under considerable friction due to theweight of both. sides of the car. .By removal of the screws ll, a andll, I, and also the pins 39, "a, torsion rods 4i and l! may be easilydisassembled. The invention is not limited to the example shown. Everytype of torsion rod may be used 5 as, for example, helical springs thetransverse reaction of which can be selected independently of itstorsional reaction. It is also immaterial how the trunnions of the armsare attached to the torsion rods, or how the latter are attached to theframe. n

The word frame as herein usedI is not to be understood as limited tosuch devices when formed separate fromthe body or coachwork oi! 'thevehicle, but as including such devices when il forming` a part of orintimately interconnected with said body or coachwork of the vehicle.

While I have hereinshown and described only l certain embodiments oi'certain features of my present invention, it is to be understood thatthey are to be regarded merely as illustrative and that I do not intendto limit myself thereto ex' cept as may be required by the followingclaims:

I claim: l. In a wheel support, in combination, a frame, a wheel, meansfor supporting said wheel relative to said frame, and torsion bar meansinterconnecting said Wheel and frame and extending transversely of saidframe and springing said wheel for transverse movement relative tosaidframe, said torsion bar means being the sole means for so springing saidwheel.

2. In a wheel support, in combination, a frame,

a wheel, means for supporting said Wheel relative to said frame, andtorsion bar means interconnecting said wheel and frame and extendingtransversely of said frame for springing said wheel for both verticaland transverse movement relative to said frame, said torsion bar meansbeing the sole means for resiliently resisting transverse movement ofthe wheel.

3. In a wheel support, in combination, a Irame comprising a pair ofsuperposed transverse tubular` members. wheel supporting arms sojournaled to the ends of said tubular members as to permit of limitedaxial movement, springs in said members each having one of its endsfixed to an abut ment on the frame and the other end iixed to Ongi ofsaid Wheel supporting arms.

4. In a wheel support, in combination, a frame comprising a transversetubular member, a wheel supporting arm sojournaied within the end ofsaid tubular member as to permit of limited axial movement, aspring-housed in said tubular member having one of its ends xed to anabutment on the frame and the other end xed to said wheel upporting armagainst movement in all direcions. y' I A a 5. In a wheel springingmechanism for vehicles having a frame, in combination, a wheel, andtorsion bar spring means extending. transversely of said frame forsupporting said wheel relative to said frame, said wheel, frame, andtorsion bar means forming an interconnected parallelogram, whereby saidwheel is sprung for 65 transverse movement relative to said frame, saidf torsion bar spring meansbeing the sole means for so springing saidwheel.

y 6. 'Ihe combination according toA claim 5 including means forpreventing relative rotation between said spring means and 4said frame.

7. Thej'combinationaccording to claim 5 including means for preventing.relative longitudiaisance I nal movement between a portion of saidspring means and said frame.

l8. The combination according to claim 5 inciuding means for preventingboth relative rotation and longitudinal movement between a por-A tion ofsaid springymeans and said frame.'

' 9. In a wheel supporting means for vehicles having a frame, thecombination of a pair of superimposed tubular frame members, a wheel,

means within each of said members for journaling said wheel for verticalmovement, means permitting a limited amount of axial movement of saidjournaling means within said members, and

'spring'meansattached at one end to said framev and at the other end tosaid journaling means, whereby said wheel is sprung for both verticaland transverse movement.

10. In a springing means for the wheels of a vehicle having a frame, incombination, a wheel, and a pair of vertically spaced torsion bars each`connected at corresponding ends to said frame and at their oppositeends to said wheel, each of said torsion bars lying in a vertical planeintersecting a' vertical longitudinal plane of'said vehicle, andconstituting the sole torsional springing means for said vehicle.

ll. The combination according to claim l0 in which said torsion bars areconnected to said wheels by means journaled to said frame.

12., The combination according to claim 3 in which 'said spring means isa torsion bar.

13. The combination according to claim 4 in which said spring means is atorsion bar.

14. The combination according to claim 9 in which said spring means is atorsion bar.

l5. In a wheel support for a vehicle, inv combination, a frame includinga pair of vertically spaced transverse tubular members, a wheel, meansliournaletl within each of said members, and'connected to said wheel forsupporting said wheel for generally vertical movement relative to saidframe, and spring means interconnecting said journaling means and saidframe for springing said vehicle against both vertical and transversemovement relative to said frame.

16. The combination according to claim 15 in which said spring means isa torsion bar.

17. In a vehicle having a frame including a pair oi' vertically spacedtubular members, a wheel, a pair of linkage means connected to saidwheel and having trunnions, bearing means within said tubular membersfor journaling said trunnions to said frame, means for permitting alimited axial movement of said trunnions within said tubular members,and spring means interconnecting said trunnions `and said frame.

18. The combination according to claim 17` in KARL BABE.

